just

adj

(=fair)
[punishment, sentence, solution, settlement]juste→ Was Pollard's life sentence just or was it too severe?
[reward]juste→ It would be much more satisfactory if new ideas were the just reward for hard work.
[society, world]juste→ a just and civilized societyto get one's just desertsavoir ce que l'on mérite→ we love watching the villain get his just deserts

(=legitimate)
[cause]juste→ the difference between a just and an unjust causea just warune guerre juste→ Is there such a thing as a just war?

adv

(=a short time ago)to have just done sthvenir de faire qch→ I've just bought a new house.He's just done it.Il vient de le faire.She's just arrived.Elle vient d'arriver.He's just left.Il vient de partir.→ I'm sorry, he's just left, but he'll be back this afternoon.just now
(=a short time ago)I did it just now.Je viens de le faire.She was here just now.Elle était là il y a une minute.

(=at this time)à l'instant→ I'm just making the sauce for the cauliflower.I'm just finishing this.Je le finis à l'instant.just now
(=at the moment)pour l'instant→ She's in Greece just now.→ I don't have a boyfriend just now→ it would not be at all convenient just nowI'm rather busy just now.Je suis assez occupé pour l'instant.not just nowpas tout de suite→ "Would you like something to eat?" "Not just now, thanks."

(=very soon)I'm just going to do it.Je vais le faire tout de suite.→ I'm just going to walk down the lane now and post some letters.I'm just coming!J'arrive!to be just about to do sth
(=on the point of doing)être sur le point de faire qchI was just about to phone.J'étais sur le point de téléphoner.→ I was just about to phone you when you called.

(=at that moment)we were just going, when ...nous partions juste quand ...→ We were just going when a terrific storm started, so we ran back into the house.just as he was leavingjuste au moment où il partait→ Just as he was leaving, the phone rang.

(with imperative)
(=simply)simplement, justeIf you need help, just ask!Si vous avez besoin d'aide, demandez tout simplement!Just ask someone the way.Demandez tout simplement votre chemin à quelqu'un.→ People round here are very friendly if you get lost, just ask someone the way.Just listen to this!Écoutez un peu ça!→ Now just listen a moment while I explain.→ Just listen to the sound of that wind, it sounds almost human.just a minute!(asking someone to wait)
une minute!→ "Can I speak to Mr Jones, please?" "Just a minute, I'll get him."just one moment!un instant!, un instant s'il vous plaît!→ Just one moment! Hold it right there!

(emphatic)
(=absolutely)(+ adj)
absolument, complètementThat's just stupid!C'est complètement stupide!→ I don't see the point in it really. It's just stupid.She just won't relax.Elle refuse tout bonnement de se détendre.

(=only)juste→ I'm just going to ask you a bit more about your father's business→ You can find out a lot, just by looking at someone's eyes.just onejuste un(e)→ That's just one aspect of my work.I just want ...je veux juste ...→ I just want some information on ferries, please.don't do it just because ...ne le faites pas juste parce que ...→ Stop feeling obliged to do things just because others expect them from you.it's just that ...c'est juste que ...→ Your hair is all right; it's just that you need a haircut.it's just a ...
(=no more than)ce n'est que ...→ It's not true, it's just a story.It's just a suggestion.Ce n'est qu'une suggestion.It's just a mistake.Ce n'est (rien) qu'une erreur.

(=exactly)exactement, justeThat's just what I wanted to hear.C'est juste ce que je voulais entendre.→ I've been waiting for just such an occasion.just how much?combien exactement?, combien au juste?→ The real debate is about just how much money you should spend.to be just like sb/sthêtre exactement comme qn/qch→ Crocodile meat is just like chicken, only tougher.just as I expectedexactement comme je m'y attendais, précisément comme je m'y attendais→ It was just as I'd expected: she'd gone and taken the money with her.just so!(British)old-fashionedexactement!just so
(=exactly as it should be)She wants everything just so.Il faut que tout soit impeccable pour elle.just right(adj)
parfait(e)It's just right.C'est parfait.→ The mattress was just right, not too hard and not too soft.just two o'clockexactement deux heures, juste deux heuresjust in timejuste à temps→ I arrived just in time for my flight to London.just hereici→ He stuck the knife right in, just herejust the ...[+person, place, thing]He knew just the place.Il connaissait l'endroit idéal.

(=only just)(with verb)
tout justeI just managed to crawl through the hole.Je parvins tout juste à passer dans le trou en rampant.He could just reach it.Il pouvait tout juste l'atteindre.→ He could just reach the man's head with his right hand.She just caught the train.Elle a attrapé son train de justesse.to just miss sth[+target]He just missed.Il a échoué de peu.→ He needed a bullseye to win, but just missed and came second.
(=avoid crashing into)He just missed the wall.Il a évité le mur de justesse.→ The brick smashed the window and just missed a baby in a pram.just about
(=more or less)à peu près→ I can just about tolerate it at the momentWe can just about get there in time.Nous pouvons y arriver à peu près à temps.It's just about big enough.C'est tout juste assez grand.